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CU-Boulder seeks to lead in implementing federal laws protecting women

'We really want to be ahead of the curve'

By Sarah Kuta

Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
01/20/2014 02:00:00 PM MST

Officials at the University of Colorado are working to make sure the school is compliant with new federal obligations under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which goes into effect later this spring.

CU was already compliant with many of the mandates set forth by the law, commonly referred to as VAWA, said CU police spokesman Ryan Huff, who also chairs the university's Clery Act Compliance Committee. But as soon as President Barack Obama signed the act into law last year, Huff said CU created a sub-committee to study the new law and review the university's existing policies and procedures.

"We really want to be ahead of the curve," Huff said of the law, which goes into effect March 7. "We want to be compliant months ahead of the deadline and really set an example for our peers. We want to follow best practices and in some cases, establish best practices for the Clery Act."

Law adds new reporting requirements under the Clery Act

CU already reports a long list of crime statistics in its Annual Security and Fire Safety Report under the Clery Act, the federal law which requires colleges and universities to disclose timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies.

The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, which was a provision of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, requires colleges and universities to report domestic violence, dating violence and stalking in addition to the crime categories already required under the Clery Act.

Universities and colleges also must add national origin and gender identity to hate crime categories that must be reported under the Clery Act.

Huff said CU began tracking the additional crimes and categories this calendar year.

The law also requires that schools don't include victims' names when sending out timely reports or warnings for crimes considered a threat to other students and employees, which is a practice already in place at CU, Huff said.

The law also sets forth some new standards for investigations or student conduct discipline proceedings in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking cases. The accuser and accused must both be allowed to have others present during a disciplinary proceeding, including an advisor.

The accuser and accused must both be notified simultaneously in writing of the outcome of the proceeding. Huff said CU has been compliant with those two requirements "for years."

CU also already educates new students, faculty and staff members about sexual violence, consent and bystander intervention, which is another new requirement of the law.

Huff said the Office of Student Affairs is currently working on a new online tool to help inform new students about sexual violence in addition to the in-person orientation.

Last summer, the Office of Discrimination and Harassment added information about sexual violence, which is required under the new law, to its training for employees.

"We're already well ahead of where we need to be with (Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act) compliance," Huff said. "Just since June when we added the (Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act) components, 4,200 employees have taken that training."

CU staff member part of national conversation on implementing new law

Jessica Ladd-Webert, director of CU's Office of Victim Assistance, also was selected to be part of the negotiated rulemaking committee for the law, and is traveling to Washington, D.C., for three two-day sessions this spring to talk about how to regulate the law.

Ladd-Webert, who attended her first negotiated rulemaking committee session in the nation's capital last week, said she's happy to be representing CU in conversations about implementation and regulation of the new law

"CU wants a voice on the national stage with how we can best comply with federal laws," Huff said. "We want to be a national leader in Clery Act compliance, and look no further than Jessica being appointed to the rulemaking committee."

She'll return to Washington again in late February and late March as part of the group made up of campus safety officials, students, educators and other advocates.

"The hope is that (the law) will continue to bring more prevention and awareness around sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking," she said.

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